Playing cards



J 13,1925. mzms L. F. BLUME PLAYING CARD Filed May 18. 1921 Fly.

lnverfifor. Louis E Binnie? Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

are tars PLAYING CARDS.

Application filed May .18,

To all who m may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS F. BLUME, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Playing Cards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to playing cards; more particularly my inventionrelates to cards adapted for games simulating base ball. I

The object of my invention is to provide a deck of cards with whichgames may be played having more of the chances and hazards of genuinebase ball, than has heretofore been possible.

Prior to my invention, in devising decks of cards adapted for gamesintended to simulate base ball, some standard card or other game was notinfrequently taken as a pattern, and a base ball nomenclature applied asfar as possible, prticularly to the cardinal plays; the deck devisedbeing marked and otherwise arranged to suggest the new nomenclature.

The fact that another game was taken as a pattern generally introducedso many foreign elements into the card game intended to simulate baseball that in essentials it was not base ball and could not win devoteesin spite of its base ball nomenclature.

Still other card games have been proposed intended to simulate base ballwithout particularly patterning after any standard game. The cards forthese games while introducing a base ball nomenclature as played, stillwere not adapted for playing without some rule or rules introducing anelement distinctly foreign to base ball; accordingly they have failed toacquire any marked following among gamesters.

The playing cards of my invention, on the other hand, have been devisedwith special reference to standard base ball as played by the bigleagues with reference to the sides or nines which play, to the infield,the outfield. the base runners, and to the plays themselves whichconstitute the game. With my deck ofcards, games may be played whichsimulate in every respect the minutia of each play affording records oferrors, batting averages and the like in the course of the game. Thebase ball nomenclature therefore naturally applies as 1921. Serial No.470,625.

a matter of course. My deck accordingly yields a game of great interestand affords much amusement.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and objects of myinvention reference should be had to the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figs. 1 to 9 show cards typical of the various suits of which a deck iscomposed in accordance with my invention.

Asindicated in the drawing, the deck of cards of my invention, which isadapted for playing games simulating base ball, is composed of ninesuits, each of the suits representing one of the nine players on a side;such suits being designated both by suitable design and insignia.

Fig. 1 shows a card designed to represent the left fielders suit. Thesalient feature of its design is a diamond on its face. The insignia LFis applied to the usual upper left-hand and lower right-hand corners todesignate this suit; the card preferably bearing other insignia furtherto suggest this suit, as for instance by coloring the upper left-handand lower right-hand corners as indicated. 7

Fig. 2 similarly shows a card designed to represent the center fielderssuit. It is characterized by a diamond design on its face, and hasdesignating insignia on its corners comprising CF on the upper lefthandand lower right-hand corners. All four corners are also preferablycolored as indicated further to make this suit readily distinguishableto the eye.

Fig. 3 shows a card designed for the right fielders suit, bearing againa diamond design on its face and having suitable insignia on its cornerscomprising the letters RF on the upper left-hand and lower righthandones respectively. The upper righthand and lower left-hand corners alsopreferably bear other insignia as by having them colored as indicated.

In order to apportion properly the result of certain plays, as forinstance to determine the number of bases stolen by a base runner on aplay simulating the failure of a baseman to catch the ball coming tohim. I find it desirable to assign to certain suits or groups of suits.different group playing values. This is best accomplished for playingpurposes by like colorings on all suits belonging to the same group,

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I'have selected the fielders suit to com- I prise one group and visuallyindicate this design, these suits are also characterized by the use ofdiamonds on their faces as shown.

A card of the pitchers suit is shown in Fig.v 5,.Wl1lCll, in addition,bears Ps as ClS! I1&lL-'

ing insignia on its corners. J\ card or the catchers suit is shown inFig. 6 and'bears Cs as the'designating insignia on its corners. A cardo'i the short stops suit is shown {in Fig. 7 and bears SSs as thedesignating insigniaflon its corners.

The third and last group of suits comprises the basemens suits fordesignating which I prefer red coloringdenoted by the vertical hatchingon the cards shown in *Figs. 7,8 and Iii-design these suits are againcharacterized by diamond designs on their faces; A

card of the third baseinans' suit is shown in Fig. 7 which'bears threediamonds one within the other on its face;' such card also havingdesignated insignia 'on its corners comprising theletters BBB on itsupper.

left-hand and lower right-hand corners.

Fig. 8 similarlyshows a card or the second basen ans suit having twodiamonds one with n the other on its face with designating insigniacomprising letters BB on its upper left-hand and lower hight-handcorners,

while I ig; 9 shows a card of the firstbase- 1 mans suit, hearing but asingle diamond on its fac'e'and havingletters B as designating insigniaon-its corners.

In my deck ofnine suits there are six cards to the suit, or fitfty fourcards in the whole deel The'cards of a suit are distinguished "seriallyfrom each other prefera'blyby immerals 1 to 6 inclusive as illustrated"in'the drawing. These fnumerals should beapplied botlrto the corners andto the face of the cardas shown in orderto facilitateplaying.

Games'simul'ating base ball can be played with the deck which I havedescribed by observing the following general playing rules;

- parties.

the use of a playing board bearing therepresentation of a base balldiamond when playing greatlyadding to the realism oithe game.

Two or more parties 'inay 'play, four parties making the best game;accordingly I Will. describe the'game as played by four To play, thecards are'shufiled' anddealtamong the four players, partners sittingopposite each other. Theside which deals are preferably at'the bat,while the others are in the field. I It adds interest to the gamete givethe side in the field materimarked BIB-6, this In dealing, I prefer togive each of the partally more cards than the side at the bat.

11ers in thefield fifteen cards while the 7 partners at the bat receiveonly twelve each. The side in the field (generally the. player to theleft of the dealer) leads oh by playing play is styled a'ball.

has been delivered by the pitcher, the nature of the play.is'deteri'nined' by the 'cardfwhich the batter plays. In the event thatthe hen a fair throw, as above described,

a one base hit it his card is One point higher;

theplate. In general, it is preferable: to

pitchers suit is fol-lowed'with'anumerically' high card, the batterprov1s1onally-sc0res a' two base hit if'his card is two points I higher;a three base hit it his card is three points higher; and a home run ifhis: card is four points higher. In the event that the pitcher's cardi'si'ollowed with a;n-umer- 1 i'cally lower card'he scores a foul strikeor a foul ball after the 2nd strike. Should,

however, thebatter *play a card 'ot" a different suit, he makes astrike. In the event that the pitcher has played a card marked 1-,thebattercannot play unless he has a card marked '2 of the same suit,which when played indicates in accordance with this game that he hasbeenhit by the ball and he takes first base. Lacking such card the batterdoes not play, and should say Play ball to indicate that the pitchershould play another card. I

When the batter makes a provisional l ase hit, as described above, thefielder by playing the proper card, puts the batter out at' his base.fThis is effected by pla ing the card numerically equal to-the cardplayed by thebatter fofthe suit corresponding to the base to which thebatter is running. For

example,- assume that the pitcher has'playe-d as his pitched ball, thecard marked T1 4; andthat the batter next in order played the cardmarked-LF fi This card is two points higher than the pitched card and ofthe same suit sojthata'provisional two basehit results. It now thefielder. play a card equal to the batters cardand corresponds in' suitof the base to which the batter. is running. The fielderthus putstherunner out. In the event the fielder cannot make such a,

card is numerically play he should say sea and place the batters card onthe base earned;

When the batter has made a foul strike or a foul ball, the fielder cancatch the foul ball (foul out) by playing a card numerically equal tothe batters card in either of the suits marked B, BBB or C. If'he cannotdo this, he should say Play ball.

All base runners in this game are advanced as many bases as are earnedby the batter. Thus, if there is a base runner on 2nd base and a onebase hit is scored, the base runner advances to 3rd base; if a two basehit is scored, he comes home. All base runners may be put out at thebase they are approaching by the fielder playing the base card equal innumber to the base rnnners card. Thus, for example, if the base runneris a card marked 5 and he is advancing to 3rd base, he may be put out at3rd base by the fielder playing the BBB 5. If the base runner isadvancing to home plate, he can be put out by the fielder playing 0-5.

By the observance solely of the above simple rules an excellent gamesimulating base ball may be played, but in order to make the game morecompletely resemble the game of base ball, the following additionalrules should be observed.

lVith a man on base, a steal may be simulated as follows :-The ballhaving been pitched, the batter plays the same suit as the cardrepresenting base runner. The steal ard is placed above the base runnerscard and both are advanced to the next base. The batter is credited witha strike or a ball depending upon the pitchers card. The fielder effectsthe putting out of the card stealing to a base by playing a card in thesuit representing the base gained and which corresponds .in value to oris greater than that of the steal card. If the fielder cannot play suchcard, the steal card should be declared safe.

A. fair throw having been delivered by the pitcher, the batter cansimulate a fly ball or bunt by playing a card of the same number andsame color as the pitchers card. The nature of the fly is determined bythe color of the cards. Thus, an outfield fly results by playing greencards, an infield fly by playing red cards. and a hunt by playing blackcards.

A fly or bunt having been made by the l'iatter, the fielder puts thebatter out by playing any card of the batters suit. In the case of afly. this means that the ball has been caught, and in the case of abunt, it means that the batter was not able to reach 1st base. In theevent that the fielder fails to put the batter out according to thisrule, the batter earns 1st base. If the fielder fails to catch the flyball in accordance with this procedure, he determines the base earned bythe batter by discarding a base suit of any number, the suit marked Bgiving the batter first base; the suit marked BB giving the battersecond base; and the suit marked BBB giving the batter third base.

In the event that the fielder cannot catch the outfield fly, nor canplay a base suit, the batter comes home.

\Vhen a hunt is made, all base runners advance one base even though thebatter is put out. In no case, however, can a runner on third base comehome when a bunt is made unless forced. lVhen an infield or outfield flyis made, base runners advance only when the fly is not caught. Baserunners advance as many bases as are earned by the batter. An exceptionto this rule is the sacrifice fly, which is an outfield fly with a manon third base. In this case, the man on third base comes home,regardless of whether the fly is caught out by a fielder. Moreover, thebase runner cannot be put out at home plate. With the exception of asacrifice fly, base runners can be put out at the bases they areapproaching by playing thereon a card equal in value of a suitcorresponding to the base approached.

These rules, of course, may be still further elaborated upon to simulateevery minutia in a play in the game of base ball as played by the bigleagues; or they be further simplified as the case may be at theconvenience of the players when desired.

Having now described an embodiment of my invention which is at presentthe best means known to me for carrying the same into efl'ect, I wouldhave it understood that this is merely illustrative and that I do notmean to be limited thereby to the precise details shown, nor restrictedin the choice of recognized equivalents except as defined in my claimshereunto annexed.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is 1. A deck of playing cards divided into nine suits havingdesignating insignia corresponding to a player on a base ball nine, eachcard bearing a diamond design; the suits being similarly cross dividedand grouped by threes, each group having a distinguishing color.

2. A deck of playing cards divided into nine suits having designatinginsignia cor responding to a player on a base ball nine. each cardbearing a diamond design; each suit having six cards, the suits beingsimilarly cross divided and grouped by threes and having a groupdistinguishing color.

3. A deck of playing cards divided into nine suits having designatinginsignia corresponding to a player on a base ball nine,

' there being in all fifty-four cards each of which bears a diamonddesign on its face; the suits corresponding to left field, center field,and right field, being grouped together and distinguished by the use ofgreen coloring, the first basemans, second basemans and third basemanssuits forming a second group distinguished by the use of red coloring,the pitchers, catchers and short stops suits forming a third groupdistinguished by the use of black coloring.

4. A deck of playing cards divided into nine suits having designatinginsignia corresponding to theplayers on a base ball nine,

said suits having additional common designating insignia for similarlycross-dividing thesuits into a plurality of similar ranks, whereby playsmay be simulated correspond ing to the qualityof the ball pitched.

5. A .deck of'playing cards comprising fifty four cards divided intonine suits havmg designating insign a corresponding to the players on abase ball nine, the suits be ing similarly cross divided intoa pluralityof ranks each having identical designating numerals whereby plays may besimulated corresponding to the quality of the ball pitched; the suitsbeing further divided into groups distinguished by colors, each groupcontaining cards of all the ranks designated by the cross divlsion.

In testimony whereof I have aiiiXed my signature thisr9thjday of May,1921.

LOUIS F. BLUME.

